Embassy on the Northern Plains

Embassy on the Northern Plains. Fort Laramie National Historic Site. , As the main outpost of the U.S. Government on the Northern Plains, Fort Laramie served as an official meeting ground between the United States of America and the sovereign tribes of the Northern Plains., The first great treaty negotiation, the Treaty of 1851, proved to be too big for Fort Laramie and quickly moved to Horse Creek in western Nebraska. With over 10,000 participants, it was the largest gathering of Plains Indians in the 19th century. For the next 17 years Fort Laramie served as an unofficial U.S. embassy to the Northern Plains. U.S. Peace Commissioners and prominent tribal leaders such as Smoke, Red Cloud, Man Afraid of His Horses, and Spotted Tail came to Fort Laramie to conduct affairs of state. Preparations for meetings and negotiations held at the fort were as much a part of military routine as wood cutting parties and guard duty. As the Bozeman Trail crossed lands protected by the 1851 treaty and the Transcontinental Railroad progressed west, hostilities increased in the 1860s and negotiations held at Fort Laramie grew in importance. Several peace councils met between 1866 and 1868., These gatherings culminated in three treaties signed at Fort Laramie in the spring of 1868 between the Federal Government and the Cheyenne and Arapaho, the Crow, and 10 Sioux bands. The treaties established the reservation system on the Northern Plains and continue to act as foundational legal documents. The treaties soon separated Fort Laramie from the various tribes and ended the post’s role as a council site., Open Ground with Easy Access , In good weather, treaty negotiations were held on the open ground on the east side of the Laramie River, a gathering place and campground for emigrants, soldier, and peace councils. These open fields provided ample space and fodder for livestock, were close to the post headquarters, and kept the parade grounds clear. In bad weather negotiations moved to the large post commissary and quartermaster warehouses on the northeast end of the post.